Walmart looks to boost Jet.com with a big makeover—and partnership with Nike

9/13/2018
Walmart is updating its Jet.com site with faster delivery, new merchandise offerings, more personalization and other enhancements as its looks to strengthen its defenses against Amazon.

The online retailer on Thursday debuted an updated website that features an array of new and improved offerings, with a shopping experience tailored to specific needs of urban areas, starting with New York City. (Jet will open a new fulfillment center in the Bronx this fall.). The changes are designed to expand Jet’s appeal to its target audience of affluent, urban-dwelling consumers.

"I'm personally thrilled with this evolution of Jet,” said Marc Lore, Jet founder, and president and CEO of Walmart eCommerce US. "It's the next generation of shopping for city dwellers, and really brings the personality of their city and local favorites to life," And, focusing Jet on customers in the major metro cities perfectly complements our overall e-commerce portfolio strategy.”

The changes include a bigger emphasis on localization. Starting with New York and rolling out to other major cities over time, Jet.com will feature iconic, localized imagery and messages on the home page and throughout the site. In addition, smarter product recommendations that prioritize shoppers' preferences and timely re-order suggestions that predict needs to restock will provide more intelligent personalization. And iOS consumers will be able to use voice activation to build shopping lists on Jet's mobile application.

Other changes include faster delivery. Most New York City customers will be able to arrange three-hour scheduled delivery windows for their groceries and other select merchandise. Upon checkout, customers will be able to add customized delivery instructions (e.g. "leave the package with the doorman"). Delivery will be offered through Parcel, the same-day, last-mile delivery company Walmart acquired in 2017.

Jet is also partnering with New York-based brands and small businesses to offer a more localized product assortment. New Yorkers, for instance, will be able to order local and craft beer for same-day and next-day delivery in the coming months.

NIKE: Jet also plans to add more brands to its site, including Nike. In October, Jet and Nike will partner to offer consumers Nike and Converse products in a fully branded experience. The initial assortment will include hundreds of products across apparel, footwear and accessories for men, women and children, including essentials for running, training and sportswear.

Jet was launched in 2015 and acquired by Walmart for $3.3 billion in 2016, Jet is the shopping destination for city consumers.
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